Post-therapeutic lymphedema: Scintigraphy before and after autologous lymph vessel transplantation 8 years of long-term follow-up

The function of lymphatic vessel grafts was proved in 12 patients with lymphedema of the upper extremity by visual and semiquantitative evaluation of a preoperative baseline study and scintigraphic follow-up data for a period of 8 years after microsurgical treatment. The transplantation site was an upper extremity. In 11 of 12 patients, lymphatic function improved after autologous lymphatic vessel transplantation compared with preoperative findings. This could be verified by a statistically significant decrease of the transport index (P < 0.01), clear demonstration of lymph nodes, and a less diffuse distribution pattern of the Tc-99m-labeled nanocolloids. In three patients, the vessel graft could be detected by scintigraphy. Lymphoscintigraphy combined with semiquantitative evaluation of lymphatic transport kinetics has been shown to be an easy and reliable method to assess lymphatic function before and after autologous lymph vessel transplantation.